Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
June 23, 2023
Volume 19, Issue 21
Rains benefit quail hatch
Cool Moves
Researchers are studying the quail hatch to learn more about chick behavior and survival. The nest counts in the Rolling Plains have improved significantly this year. Photo from Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation.
By David Schlake Lone Star Outdoor News
Summer has officially arrived with scorching temperatures from El Paso to Galveston. The rampant weather shift has anglers responding with adjusted strategies, which, in many parts of the state, rely on skipping baits underneath docks and dropping jigs down around structure and beneath hydrilla mats where big bass can escape the sun. While the shade seems to be the target among bass fishermen, catfish and crappie are favoring depth. Guides are finding fish schooling anywhere from 15-30 feet deep and finding success with a variety of different baits. Catfish are taking to trolled artificial baits or cut bait off the points. Crappie are routinely striking jigs thrown near submerged structure. Read our fishing reports, guide reports and story on finding shade in this issue to learn more. Photo by Tanner Lyons.
Following a spring headlined by mild temperatures and cascades of rainfall, quail hunters across the state are calling one another desperate for encouraging reports. Have you seen any chicks yet? What are your quail doing? Do you think this rain is going to last? Meanwhile, early surveys at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation’s facility out in Fisher County have provided numbers brimming with nostalgia only halfway through the breeding season. By comparison, the entire 2022 breeding season from April through September produced 44 nests at the research ranch, whereas the team has already recorded 48 nests this year by mid-June. Perhaps no Texas game species is as volatile as the bobwhite, which is evidenced by the massive swings in hunting success year over year. However, unlike other states where quail hunting no longer even exists (not counting private preserves), Texas has boasted seasons in the past decade that weren’t just good, but outstanding. To estimate the bird numbers across the state each year, wildlife officials drive more than Please turn to page 7
By Nate Skinner
Schools of crevalle jack, commonly referred to as jackfish or jacks, have been schooling in feeding frenzies along Surfside Beach near Freeport. YouTube fishing video creator, Brandon Molina, has been catching fish weighing up to 30 pounds or more from the Surfside Jetty. His success has stemmed mostly from consistency on the beach side of the jetty
where he has seen large schools roaming the surf, although the occasional channel-side school has also yielded results. “The early morning hours have been pretty exciting,” he said. “They have been all over the place, up and down the jetty, feeding aggressively right before sunrise.” According to Molina, some of the schools have been working parallel to the rocks along the jetty, making for easy sight-casting opportu-
nities. Large top-water lures, 4- to 6-inch swimbaits and 3-ounce silver spoons have been producing the most strikes. “When they are feeding along the rocks, you can just wait until the school gets in front of you, and then pitch your lure right in the middle of them, and hold on,” Molina said. “When they are schooled up in a big feeding frenzy, you can throw just about anything at them and they will eat it. The key is to Please turn to page 15
CONTENTS
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For Lone Star Outdoor News
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 21 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Datebook . . . . . . . . . Page 22
INSIDE
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Jacks on jetties
The early morning bite has been best from the jetties for crevalle jack. Brandon Molina has been finding fish up to 30 pounds from Surfside Beach. Photo from Brandon Molina.
HUNTING
FISHING
Big business (P. 4)
Giant hammerhead (P. 8)
$4.3 billion spent in deer hunting.
Surf angler lands, releases 13-footer.
Aoudad quest (P. 4)
Shade for bass (P. 8)
Hunter strikes gold after 42 hunts.
Docks producing on Lake Austin.